Naruto: The Running of the Sun
by Dragonkey258
Summary: While going about his way during his training with Jiraiya, Naruto is swept up in a world of gods and demons. Stripped of all his abilities, he must fight his way home, or die trying. Life just got interesting.  Adopted Plotbunny from Kyugan


_**The following is an adopted Plot Bunny from kyugan, right from his Crossover Corner. This first chapter may seem eerily similar to how he opened the subject, but I received some blessing to do so. I have a few chapters hanging in my computer (...somewhere) but do have a plan as to how this story will play out. **_

_** To those who are still interested in MLSF, don't worry. I have a lot more backlogged on my computer. By backlogged I mean completely deleted thanks to my cousins. I apologize**_

_**So, needless to say, welcome to the tale of Naruto: The Running of the Sun.**_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

The Elemental Nations, a series of countries that operate as separate political entities ruled over by their own respective Daimyo, who maintain balance between themselves through nothing but power. Treaties are periodically signed, but they are generally not worth much more than the paper they are written on.

Rather than employing their own private military forces, however, the Daimyo had long since resorted to employing Shinobi from the various Hidden Villages that existed within their lands. The leaders, known as the 'kage', stood equally with their Ruling lords, allowing the Hidden Villages a certain level of anonymity, while maintaining their own personal economy by training their citizens to be ninja from a young age and using them as manpower in various missions others would be willing to pay for. These missions could be anything from weeding a garden for a single payment to receiving a constant budget from the country it resides in for being soldiers in case the country is involved in a war.

However, our story does not take place in one of these not-so-hidden villages, but rather in a small town near the coast of Wave Country. Here, a certain knuckleheaded ninja and his perverted master are currently taking a break on their journey…

_At the Shrine Steps..._

"Hurry it up Ero-Sennin!" Naruto, the blonde jinchuuriki of the powerful Nine-Tailed Fox, yelled, scowling at his master impatiently as they trudged up the steps of the mountain, heading towards the majestic temple that stood on its rested on its peak. "We're going to be late!"

It had been two and a half years since Naruto had set foot in Konoha, two and a half years since the disastrous mission to 'rescue' his teammate, Uchiha Sasuke, who, blinded by the burning desire to avenge his clan, had abandoned his comrades in Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village, and defected to Otogakure in search of the power to do so.

Naruto, with the impetuousness (or was it stupidity?) of youth, had wanted to go after him the moment he regained consciousness, but thankfully Jiraiya, the Toad sage of the Legendary Sannin team, had stepped in and offered to train him on a trip all around the Elemental Nations. The offer of training was enough to have the blonde put away his thoughts of immediate rescue.

"Patience, Naruto." Jiraiya chuckled, the Toad sage and self-proclaimed Super Pervert, all but ignoring his hot-headed disciple, his wooden geta sandals clacking loudly as he took his sweet time climbing the stone steps. "It's important to pay tribute at the local shrines when travelling, as it ensures a safe journey. However, you should also take the time to pause and reflect on the way there, which is something YOU of all people should appreciate."

"Whatever…" Naruto muttered, grimacing slightly at reminder that Akatsuki, the mysterious organization hunting Jinchuuriki, were still out there, looking for him "You just wanna get there at the right time to ogle the shrine maidens when we get there."

"That too!" the self-proclaimed Super Pervert admitted. He patted his disciple's head as he walked past him, as said disciple just hung his head and grumbled at his master's antics.

"Seriously," Naruto muttered, a sullen look on his face as he made to follow the older man. "Why is it all my sensei's turn out to be perverts? Old man Hokage wasn't too bad (despite the fact he kept porn in his desk), and Iruka and Ebisu-sensei were actually kinda funny (they probably never saw a naked woman in their lives), but Kakashi-sensei and Ero-Sennin are in a class of their own (honestly, who reads porn in public!)."

Sighing dejectedly, the last, or so it would seem, Uzumaki deciding he better follow the old fart before he did something to embarrass the village…pausing only to glance down at the village below.

They had arrived here not long ago; barely an hour at most, in order to pick up some sake from the local brewery, which, according to Jiraiya, produced some of the finest Sake in all of the Elemental nations.

'The old pervert probably wants to use it to try and butter-up Ba-chan.' Naruto muttered, shaking his head in exasperation, both at his sensei and the woman that was the closest thing he'd ever had to a mother. 'He certainly bought enough of the stuff…poor Shizune-neechan is gonna have a hell of a time trying to get Ba-chan to stop drinking all of it!'

Sighing to himself, he promised a prayer for the long suffering attendant. Pausing for a bit, the blonde jinchuuriki turned his attention towards the village itself, bathing in the majesty of the countless cherry blossoms and petals that were all over the place, although their beauty paled in comparison to the MASSIVE Sakura Tree that loomed over the top of the Shrine. It was so impossibly large it wouldn't have looked out of place in the Forests of Konoha, save for the colour of course.

'Might brighten the place up a bit…' he thought, smiling up at the beautiful tree in admiration before turning his attention back to the task at hand; trudging his way up to the top of the stone steps of the Shrine, only to blink as he saw Jiraiya chatting amicably with a shrine maiden that was WAY too young for him (as she was perhaps his age or a year younger, if her figure was any indication). With a sigh of aggravation, he continued to walk up the steps, where he blinked at the sight of a slightly older girl (perhaps by a year or so, if her figure was any indication) in a green, white and blue shrine maiden outfit. The girl pushed her long green-hair out of the way of her eyes, before catching Naruto's eyes.

"Hmm? Are you here to pay respects to Shiranui's shrine as well?" she asked, Naruto jumping at the sound of her melodious voice

"Y-yeah, something like that…" Naruto admitted uneasily, a small blush gracing his features. As he turned away, his eyes came across his old perverted teacher putting an arm around the younger girl, much his slight disgust and annoyance.

"You're guardian does know that the maidens of this shrine have taken vows of chastity, does he not?" the green-haired girl asked, still sounding rather kind and demure, yet Naruto could tell that she was either annoyed or upset.

"I'm not so sure," Naruto admitted, his tone, matching the same annoyed tone as the priestess before him. "One moment please." Spinning on his heel, he took off with a dash, landing a flying kick against the older man's skull. His foot connected with Jiraiya's cranium, sending him flying off the edge of the mountain.

Turning to the younger priestess, who was looking over the edge in concern, he said, "Don't worry about him; he'll be fine. Is it alright if I pay my respects?"

Snapping out of her reverie, the young dark haired maiden smiled to him and bowed before saying, "But of course, Shinobi-san." Gesturing towards the shrine proper, she continued, "Please, this way."

Naruto did as asked, following the priestess towards the shrine, making sure to remove his Shinobi sandals in return for a complimentary pair of prayer slippers before stepping into the wooden building. On the inside, it was fairly plain, save for thirteen ink paintings, twelve of which lined the walls leading up to the shrine itself, with the last taking pride of place behind a statue.

The twelve that aligned the wall depicted the animals of the Zodiac, which any Shinobi worth his hitai-ate learned early on, as they were the basis of the hand seals necessary to perform Ninjutsu. There was the badass looking dragon, the rat with a wicked looking sword held between its teeth, a trio of monkeys playing bamboo instruments, a massive boar riding on what looked like a firework, surrounded by several smaller boars, a snake in a glass gourd filled with water, a rabbit with a strange mallet slung over its shoulder, a horse with a war flag on its back, a blazing phoenix with a pipe, a sheep with what appeared to be a wineskin on its back, a rather prim looking cat that looked as if it was about to walk up the parchment…

"Wait, a cat?" Naruto wondered, blinking at the tapestry in confusion, trying to see if it was, perhaps, a tiger cub and he was mistaken, but no, there was a bow wielding tiger tapestry further down, surrounded by arrows of lightning, as well as a tapestry of an ox blowing a conch horn "That can't be right," the blonde jinchuuriki muttered, turning to the green-haired priestess that just walked into the room with some degree of confusion. "Isn't there supposed to be a dog?"

"Hmm?" the priestess wondered, turning to see what was the holdup "Ah, yes," she noted, her tone amused as she turned to face the blonde, a small smile gracing her features. "I suppose, as a Shinobi, the inclusion of the cat in the zodiac would be mildly offsetting," she said, raising a finger. "However, according to legend, the cat was originally part of the zodiac as well, and so she is honored here as well."

"Is that right?" Naruto asked, sweat-dropping in disbelief, seeing as he'd never heard anything like THAT come up in Iruka-Sensei's lectures. Then again, the Chunin tended to focus more on the IMPORTANCE of certain hand seals in molding chakra, rather than the legends behind said seals. "But shouldn't there still be a tapestry for the Dog?"

"But of course," the older girl confirmed, and Naruto had the distinct feeling the two were hiding their grins behind their sleeves the two gestured to the oil painting behind the shrine. "After all, this IS Shiranui's shrine after all."

Naruto quirked a brow, following the maidens gesture to the end of the shrine, where the last of the oil paintings hung behind a statue of a crouching wolf. Unlike the others, which were surprisingly lifelike in their own way, THIS painting seemed as if it were about to leap off the tapestry that held it, depicting a large white wolf with red markings and flaming wings that, in the candlelight, seemed to glow with all the colors of the rainbow.

"That is Shiranui," the younger girl introduced, snapping Naruto out of his daze. "The wolf god, and patron deity of Kamiki Village." He stood before the statue, hands clapped together in reverence to the lupine deity "Tell me, Shinobi-san, have you perchance heard the tale of Shiranui?"

"Can't say I have…" Naruto admitted, unable to draw his eyes away from the beautiful painting before him, the eyes of the world seeming to bore into his own in the candlelight.

"I wish I could say I was surprised," the older girl sighed, sounding slightly disappointed as she shook her head. "It is a sign of the times, alas, that the new generation be ignorant of the old legends."

"Hey! I'm not ignorant! And you're not that much older than me!" Naruto countered, glaring at the shrine maiden, only to trail off sheepishly in the face of the girl's silence "It's just…as a Shinobi, I don't really have time for old legends."

"A sad truth in today's age," the other maiden noted, not unkindly "Though it may surprise you, Shinobi-san, that the tale of Shiranui predates even the Age of Shinobi."

"You're kidding!" Naruto exclaimed, gaping between the two maidens and the painting of the wolf in alarm, the candlelight making it appear as if the wolf's eyes were laughing at him.

"It is a tale passed down from parent to child, here in Kamiki village." the younger maiden spoke up, her arms crossed, holding her resting her _gohei_ under her against her shoulder. "It is the tale of the Great Hero Nagi, and the brave Wolf Shiranui." She turned to regard Naruto, a look of determination gracing her soft features. "Would you care to hear of it?"

Normally, Naruto would've turned her down, as he'd never had a lot of patience for old legends and stories growing up, but something about the painting of Shiranui called out to the jinchuuriki, making him want to learn more about the regal wolf depicted on the canvas. And so he nodded, the two priestesses leading him into another room and gestured for him to sit at the table, which was surrounded by smaller paintings of the zodiac and its patron diety.

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><p>"A long time ago," the older maiden began, joining him as she waved her hand towards the many tapestries that hung alongside Shiranui's while the younger brought out some tea before joining them, "long before the coming of the Rikudo no Sennin, the tiny hamlet known as Kamiki lay nestled in a grove of proud and beautiful cherry blossoms."<p>

Naruto blinked, his nostrils twitching as he caught the tell-tale scent of Cherry Blossoms, turning his head from side to side to try and spot the source, as there was no incense in the temple.

"Each and every tree around the quiet burg was honored as a god." she continued, heedless of her audience's distraction "However, the village was not without its dark secrets, for the village was plagued by the attentions of a murderous beast known as the Orochi."

Naruto tensed at the name, recalling the pale, golden-eyed face of Orochimaru, the treacherous Snake Sennin of the Sannin, who had betrayed Konoha, killed the Sandaime Hokage, and apparently spirited Sasuke off to be his next body.

"To satiate the appetite of Orochi, a young maiden was offered as a sacrifice at the annual festival. No one dared disobey the horrific beast, for it possessed a body like a mountain, with eight monstrous heads mounted on necks the size of tree trunks, its blood-red eyes alone were said to curse anyone who gazed into them."

'Yikes...' Naruto muttered, shivering slightly at the image of an Eight-headed Orochimaru towering over him, tongues waggling disgustingly 'Now there's something out of a nightmare…'

"However," the younger maiden continued solemnly "as the night of the sacrifice drew near, a mysterious white wolf appeared outside the village. This wolf, whose coat was as brilliant as snow, was dubbed Shiranui. Iit kept a watchful eye on anyone who ventured outside the village, even going to far as to patrol the streets at night, making the townspeople fearfully assumed the wolf to be a familiar of Orochi. One villager, the warrior Nagi, took it upon himself to face the fearsome Shiranui, but his attempts to challenge the wolf were thwarted by Shiranui's swift movements."

Naruto's head snapped round again, the blonde Shinobi peering around the room, his eyes narrowed. He SWORE he'd heard the sound of a canine snort, and knowing from his prior experience with Kiba and Akamaru, it was a snort of laughter.

"Before long, the night of the accursed festival had arrived." The older maiden continued, having clearly not heard anything of the sort. "A white plumed arrow, which heralded the coming sacrifice, pierced the sky and sunk its shaft squarely into the home of Nami, the village's most beautiful maiden. Nagi, who harbored a secret love for lovely Nami, was enraged by this sign, and so travelled to Orochi's lair in place of his beloved, wearing her ceremonial robes, determined to put an end to the beast once and for all."

'_That's what I'D certainly do_,' Naruto thought to himself, a silly little smile forming on his face as he imagined himself standing over the beaten form of the eight headed Orochimaru, sword in hand, while Sakura-chan hugged his leg in adoration, though the look quickly vanished when he heard that unmistakable canine snort of laughter again 'Dammit! I know there's a dog in here somewhere!'

"The Moon Cave, a place as dark as evil itself, served as Orochi's home." The older maiden continued, either outright ignoring the blonde, or so wrapped up in telling the story she missed the boy's actions entirely, though with her expression it was hard to tell. "As Nagi stood bravely before the entrance, the beast appeared, eyes glowing crimson upon eight thrashing necks, anxious for another sacrifice. Nagi leapt with incredible grace, swinging his blade valiantly. On and on he sliced, well into the moonless night...but Orochi's hide was like steel, and his blade left nary a scratch. At long last, Nagi, his energy spent from the intense battle, dropped to his knees, fatigued and gasping for breath, knowing that he stared death in the face."

'_I know how he must've felt,_' Naruto thought, grimacing as he recalled the palpable killing intent of Orochimaru, back when the Sannin had clashed during the blonde's mission to return Tsunade, the Slug Sage and Granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage, back to Konoha in order for her to become the Godaime Hokage. '_Heck, he must've had it worse. Freak or not, Orochimaru's only human._'

"It was then that the wolf appeared." The younger maiden spoke up, and here, her voice took on a reverent tone, as if she could actually see the majestic, lupine form standing before her "It stood its ground before Orochi, bearing his fangs as if to protect Nagi. In the darkness of the cave, the wolf's coat shone brilliantly. Bearing its fearsome claws, Shiranui leapt toward Orochi who reared its terrifying heads, readying its fangs for battle."

Naruto had to admit; with the way the two priestesses were telling the story he could almost picture the two beasts leaping at one another, locked in the heat of battle. In the candlelight, it almost appeared as if Shiranui had leapt from his portrait, fighting away the many serpents that had taken shape in the shadows.

"The two beasts struggled wildly," the priestess continued slowly, taking a sip from her tea. His voice renewed with energy once more, she continued "As they thrashed in the darkness, their battle was as mysterious as it were terrifying. Shiranui summoned gusts of divine wind to counter Orochi's flames. As the giant snake lunged at Shiranui, a gigantic tree suddenly sprouted forth, shielding the wolf."

'_Sounds kind of like Mokuton Ninjutsu_,' Naruto murmured, recalling Iruka-sensei's lectures on the First Hokage, Tsunade's grandfather, who'd founded Konoha and supposedly raised the forest around it. He'd never really paid attention, as he'd long since set himself up as the Hokage that would surpass all before him, but Jiraiya was nothing if not thorough in his tutelage, and had crammed as much folklore about Konoha into his head as he could on their journey, especially regarding the First Hokage and his battle with the Kyuubi.

"Shiranui fought gallantly to gain the upper hand," older priestess continued, though her tone took on a more dire tone, as if reaching a dark part of the tale. "However, Orochi, protected by a mystical power, was not easily bested and it opponent, covered in gashes, majestic coat dyed crimson with his blood, stood exhausted before the mighty demon. It found a chance to strike what would be the final blow," the priestess continued, her tone now becoming reverent once again. "But Shiranui refused to give in, and with its last ounce of strength, the majestic wolf gazed heavenward and unleashed a mighty howl."

As if to emphasize the magnitude of the howl, the two priestesses spread their arms wide, titling their heads back, Naruto following their gaze to gape at the painting of a crescent moon on the ceiling above the painting of Shiranui.

"Suddenly, the black clouds overhead dissipated, and the light from above glinted off Nagi's sword as a beacon of hope." The younger maiden continued. "Guided by his sword, Nagi, who had been taking shelter in the shadows, stood proudly to face his adversary, renewed with strength once more. Channeling all his strength into his scarred and battered arms, he leapt ferociously toward Orochi, his sword poised high. The golden sword danced in his hands like a puppet on a string and one by one, Orochi's fearsome heads were ruthlessly separated from their owner!"

'_Sounds like something Ba-chan would like to try_,' Naruto noted, smirking as he envisioned Tsunade taking a sword to the eight headed Orochimaru, the eyes of the monster crossed humorously in his mind.

"Finally, Orochi's broken body collapsed in a lake of its own blood." The priestesses concluded together, bringing their arms down from their adulation. "In that instant, the curse that plagued the villagers was lifted and as the battle subsided, the sun shone once again in the sky." The older of the two looked down, and the younger shook her head sadly. "However, Shiranui had succumbed to Orochi's poison and struggled even to breathe." The younger maiden continued, her tone becoming somber. "Nagi scooped the beast into his arms and returned to Kamiki, but by the time they reached the village, Shiranui was no longer moving. The village elder gently stroked the wolf's head an in response, Shiranui let out a hoarse and pitiful bark...and then closed its eyes and drifted off as if into slumber."

Naruto grimaced, the death of the wolf in battle with Orochi hitting a little too close to home, as it reminded him too much of the battle between his surrogate grandfather, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and Orochimaru. While he wasn't able to kill his former student, he was at least able to fend him off and protect his home.

"Peace had at last returned to Kamiki Village." the older priestess concluded, gesturing towards the wolf statue that stood before Shiranui's tapestry. "In honor of Shiranui's heroic exploits, the villagers erected a shrine and placed a statue of the wolf within it while Nagi's sword, which he named Tsukuyomi in memory of the moon Shiranui called forth, was placed inside the Moon Cave. And from that day onwards, the villagers of Kamiki have enjoyed an age of endless peace, untouched by the wars that have ravaged the Elemental Nations."

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><p>"What-seriously?" Naruto stammered, staring at the two as if they'd grown another set of heads. "You mean they've never seen a war here?"<p>

"Kamiki village is situated outside the borders of all the Shinobi Nations," an old, cranky voice noted, the trio turning to see Jiraiya, who'd apparently recovered from his sudden fall from the top of the mountain and joined them sometime into the end of the tale. "It's a small, simple village, protected on all sides by steep cliffs and the sea to its back. Most Shinobi wouldn't deem it worth the effort to come here to stir up trouble, and it's too close to the Nadeshikogakure (AN: Literally "The Village Hidden in Pink Flowers"), so bandits tend to steer clear."

"What you say is true, good sir," the younger priestess admitted, though Naruto got the impression the girl didn't appreciate Jiraiya bringing reality into the local fable (or, for that matter, his unwanted advances earlier before) "Nevertheless, since that battle so long ago, Shiranui has been the patron God of Kamiki village, and we have never seen a moment's suffering." She continued to face Jiraiya, though Naruto got the feeling that, behind her closed eyes, the priestess' eyes were locked onto his own. "Whether that be the work of man or Divine Intervention, I leave to you."

"Oh I'm not dismissing the legend." Jiraiya countered, waving a finger admonishingly at the maiden as he stepped forward. "In fact, I'd like to hear more of it really; it could be a good inspiration for my work. Is there, perhaps, a written account somewhere?"

"As a matter of fact, I believe we do…" the older maiden admitted, her spirits rising at the interest the Toad Sennin was showing in the old legends, standing up and gesturing for the older Shinobi to follow her. "Please, this way."

"I won't be a moment kiddo," Jiraiya assured Naruto, smiling confidently over his shoulder at his disciple as she allowed the priestess to lead him away "Why don't you finish paying your respects and wait for me outside?"

"Yeah, sure." Naruto sighed, shaking his head in exasperation, as he highly doubted the young woman would be so eager to help his master out if she knew PRECISELY what types of stories the old letch actually wrote.

"Then again," he muttered, grimacing as he recalled several women who were actually enamored at the tales of smut that they had run into on their journey. "it wouldn't surprise me in the least one turned out to be a pervert as well…"

Shaking his head with a sigh, the blonde jinchuuriki turned his attention back to the shrine of Shiranui, staring up at the glorious painting of the white wolf, unable to help the feeling of admiration and understanding it inspired in him, the similarities with his own tale uncanny, in truth, unnervingly so.

'_They looked down on you too, at first, didn't they?_' he thought, recalling the tale, envisioning the villagers eyeing Shiranui fearfully as it patrolled the streets _'People always seem to jump to the wrong conclusions given the chance,_' he snorted in amusement. '_Heck, we BOTH have a villain called Orochi to deal with in order to help a friend…although in my case, the snake fucker's still very much alive._'

Shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts, as the last thing he needed was to incur the wrath of a God for blaspheming in its temple, the blonde Jinchuuriki promptly picked up the small hammer used to strike the bell on the shrine, clapping his hands together and lowering his head in prayer.

_'I don't know if you're real or not_,' he prayed to whatever deity that decided to hear him, his eyes closed reverently as he mumbled a simple travelers prayer, (seeing as Shinobi as a whole weren't particularly pious, being killers and assassin's by trade after all). '_And even if you are, I doubt you'll listen to my prayers_,' he frowned in thought '_But please, at the very least, don't let any harm come to Sasuke until I can get him out of there._'

A breeze picked up in the temple, causing Naruto's nose to twitch as the scent of springtime and cherry blossoms tickled his nose, causing his eye's to flinch as a soft light shone through them. The jinchuuriki open his eyes to see what was going on, only to gape in shock at the sight before him.

The painting of Shiranui was moving, not because of the breeze, no, ACTUALY moving, the Wolf's regal head turning to regard the stunned Jinchuuriki with its golden, lupine eyes. As Naruto looked on in shock, the blazing wolf moved to step forwards, actually stepping OUT of the portrait, the formerly shadowed temple lighting up with all the colors of the rainbow as the flames on its back went from illustration to reality, bringing with them the scent of Sakura Petals on a summer's day.

"N-No freaking way…" the blonde stammered, gaping at the Wolf God in disbelief, unable to move as it padded towards him, about the same size as Bull, the largest of Kakashi's Ninken, save that it's presence seemed to fill the entire shrine, whereas Bull, while outwardly intimidating, seemed the most passive of Kakashi's hounds "Am…Am I dreaming?"

As if to answer the blonde, the wolf, Shiranui, leaned it's head back and released a howl that seemed to shake the very air around them, Naruto's eyes widening as he felt, deep within himself, the presence of the Kyuubi, the Nine Tailed Fox's chakra reacting to the Wolf God's howl like flames bathed in oil. A heavy sense of vertigo washed over him as he tumbled to the floor, the last conscious bits memory that of Shiranui's golden eyes gazing down at him benignly before everything went black.

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><p><em><strong>So, what do you all think? Yes, I must say this again, this is a slightly modified version of kyugan's opening in his crossover corner. Also, seeing as Okami had actually squeezed in a LOT of references to mythology and to its other franchises, I will be doing the same, although you may notice a few out of place things here and there. <strong>_

**_Please drop a review and tell me what you think! Throw a guy a bone! You're words give me the will to go on!_**

**_Dragonkey258_**


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